


Undertale: Revenge

by LatinDragon



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Apocalypse, Bad Puns, Dead People, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route - "I want to stay with you."
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22665667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LatinDragon/pseuds/LatinDragon
Summary: The barrier has been broken and the monsters from the Underground are free to go to the surface world. All is merry as they all prepare to move, particularly for the Dreemurr family. However, the breaking of the barrier has also broken the prison that was holding a powerful villain that the monsters have long since forgotten about, and he is bent on revenge on the Dreemur family.Not only that, but Chara is still at large. With everyone distracted, she will seize the opportunity to join forces with this old enemy to overthrow the Dreemurrs and continue her plan to erase the timeline.Unfortunately for them, there is still someone who stands in their way: the human, Frisk. With all her friends by her side, they would surely be able to stop the villains in their tracks...but there may still be a way. Frisk also conveniently has the one thing that Chara needs to fulfill her goals: a body.Author's Note: Consider this to be rated PG-13. There will be minor bad language and major character deaths in this story. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Asgore Dreemurr/Toriel
Kudos: 4





	1. Introduction

It all happened so fast. Once everybody was free of their shackles, Papyrus ran to Sans's side. Sans was struggling to get to his hands and knees while coughing up strange, black goop and spitting it on the floor. Toriel had fallen to her knees and was sobbing into her hands, while Alphys knelt beside her and tried to comfort her. She patted Toriel's shoulder and said gently, "It's alright, Tori, we'll think of something. We'll find a way."

Undyne paced around furiously, muttering under her breath. "Why that little... I'm gonna... Why the hell would she do that?"

Papyrus gently touched Sans's back as he vomited up the last of the goop. Sans coughed, gasped, and shuddered, and his eye sockets watered.

"Brother?" Papyrus said softly. It was odd not to hear Papyrus yelling like he always did.

Sans leaned back on his heels, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and then looked up at his brother. "pap? what...happened?"

Papyrus gave his brother a grave look. "How much do you remember?"

"remember..." Sans repeated tiredly. His face screwed up like he was straining to recall. "the last thing i remember was... frisk talking to me. she was telling me..." Sans's eyes suddenly widened and he began to look around the room frantically. "paps...w-where's frisk?"

Before Papyrus could say anything, Undyne stepped in. "She left us, Sans. She left us and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it!" She turned and ran to one of the walls and punched it, leaving a large crack in the cement. She froze for a moment, then dropped to her knees, screaming. "Oh god! My arm!"

Alphys ran to her side. "Careful! We're all..um..weak from the restraints. You can't p-p-push yourself too hard. You could get seriously hurt!"

"Gee, thanks Alphys," Undyne said through clenched teeth. "I'm sure glad I know that now instead of ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS AGO!!!"

Alphys flinched. "I-I-I'm sorry! How was I supposed to know that you were gonna punch the wall?"

"Quiet! Both of you!" Toriel suddenly snapped, causing everyone to jump. All eyes were on her, but she was still on her knees, staring down at her hands folded in her lap, tears still steadily streaming down her face. She didn't say anything.

After several moments of silence, Sans looked back up at Papyrus. "what did she mean 'she left us'? frisk...she didn't actually..." Papyrus only nodded. Sans looked down at the ground. "no...she couldn't have. why would she..." Sans put his head in his hands. "oh god, this is all my fault."

"No, brother, it is not your fault," Papyrus said. He hugged his brother and pretended not to notice the tears slowly rolling down Sans's face.

"Tori..." Undyne said, finally calmed down. Toriel looked up at Undyne. "What do we do now?"

Toriel sighed. "That is, indeed, a very complicated question."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally posted this on Wattpad, but recently I don't really like the direction Wattpad is moving in. Also, I like the search options on this site better. I'm going to be putting all of my work on this site, now. I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Chapter 1

There was nothing but pure joy as far as the eye could see. Frisk couldn't deny that she was a bit nervous when King Asgore had her stand with him and Toriel on one of the balconies of the castle, where many monsters had gathered beneath them to hear an announcement he had to make. Asgore and Toriel stood tall and proud and Frisk tried to do the same as Asgore's loud voice echoed through the caverns and told the subjects of his kingdom that a miracle had occurred: the Barrier was broken. They were free.

Frisk figured that the monsters must have been aware that something had happened. Once Asriel had broken the Barrier, a strange feeling swept over the Underground. It was like an enormous weight or fog had been lifted from the place, and the air felt lighter and easier to breathe. Not to mention that when she went for a walk before they went to watch the sunrise, all of the monsters were talking excitedly and happily about it. Nevertheless, once Asgore had shared his news, Frisk watched as all of the monsters below erupted into a loud cheer. They laughed, they wept with joy, they clapped, they embraced one another, and some even kissed or started to sing songs. As Frisk watched the monsters and their happiness, she felt her own heart lift with elation and she couldn't help but smile right along with them. Toriel placed her large hand on Frisk's shoulder and smiled down at her. Frisk turned and looked over her shoulder at all of her friends--Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys--all smiling proudly at her from behind the doors to the balcony.

Toriel knelt down to Frisk's level to hug her. "My child," she said, "you are a hero; the angel all monsters have been praying for for years. I'm sorry I ever doubted your strength."

"It's okay," Frisk said with a shrug. "I would've doubted me too." They both laughed.

"Come," Asgore said. "I'm sure they will be having a celebration soon. Let us join them."

The three of them all turned and went back inside the castle with the others. All of Frisk's friends chatted excitedly about what was to come, (Alphys said that Mettaton was already preparing to go on camera and share the news to the rest of the Underground via the TV). Frisk listened to them and smiled. She still couldn't believe that she brought so much happiness to so many people...or monsters. Honestly, she couldn't tell the difference anymore. Her friends exited the castle first and walked down the steps to join the other monsters in the courtyard. Asgore was right, monsters were already working together to bring vendors together and make music and decorate for a celebration as if they had already planned what was going to happen when the Barrier was broken. As soon as the two Dreemurs and Frisk had exited the castle, they were washed over by yet another roaring cheer. They eventually started to chant unanimously: "All hail King Asgore! Long live the King!" Then a few began to add in, "Long live Lady Toriel! Long live Ambassador Frisk!" and everyone else followed suit. She was overwhelmed and almost intimidated when they all shouted her name.

Once they had finished shouting, they all returned to the celebration. Frisk walked down the steps to join her friends.

"wow, kid, they really love you," Sans said. "just don't let it go to your head." He winked.

"INDEED. FRISK IS TRULY A HERO." Papyrus said as he clapped his hand firmly onto Frisk's shoulder.

Frisk flinched a bit but laughed anyway. "Thanks, Pap."

Undyne smiled broadly and clapped her hands together. "Well then, I think this calls for some drinks. What do you think, Alphys?"

Alphys blushed a bit. "Um... sure. O-okay. I'd like some soda."

"What about you two boneheads?" Undyne asked.

"A DRINK DOES SOUND QUITE REFRESHING, UNDYNE."

"Sans?"

"heh. nah, i'm good."

Undyne shrugged. "Suit yourself. C'mon guys."

"we'll meet up with you later," Sans said as they walked away. He looked at Frisk. "well kid, ya wanna see if we can grab some grub?"

"Sure," Frisk said. "Why didn't you want to go with the others?"

Sans shrugged. "not in the mood for drinks. i think i'd like a burger instead."

Sans and Frisk explored the celebration together and didn't have a hard time finding vendors all happy enough to give away their food and drink for free, especially to Frisk. They both eventually settled on a burger each, (Sans, of course, wanted extra ketchup). As they continued walking, now looking for a place to sit, monsters smiled at Frisk and thanked her. Some even bowed to her or hugged her. It didn't take long for Mettaton to put together a small band to play music for monsters to dance to. Mettaton even stopped Sans and asked him to play the trombone for them, but he refused. They sat down near the orchestra to eat their food.

"look, kid, i'm gonna come clean," Sans said. "i really just wanted to talk to you in private."

Frisk looked over at Sans. "Is something wrong?"

"nah, not really. it's just... none of us remember what happened back there. my memory is pretty good--heck, better than most--and it's really bugging me that i don't remember what happened. could you clarify for me?"

"Oh. Sure, I can try." Frisk looked back down at her burger. "What's the last thing you do remember?"

"when you said, 'oh. sure i can try.'"

"Sans..."

He chuckled. "ya gotta be more specific."

"What's the last thing you remember before the Barrier broke?"

Sans paused in thought. "hm. i remember a talking flower, but i don't know what he was saying. and i remember a lot of monsters showing up to stand up for you."

"Oh. The talking flower was Flowey."

"heh. did you name him all by yourself?"

Frisk scowled. "No."

"alright. continue. don't hold back, either. the truth won't hurt me."

"Well, after Flowey showed up, he captured you all, and when the other monsters came he captured them too and stole all of your souls. With the power of your souls, he was able to turn into..." Frisk stopped, remembering what she promised Asriel. "He turned into a much stronger monster. I tried to fight him but he was too strong and it was really hard. About halfway through the fight, I realized that nothing I was doing was working, but there was still a way I could save you."

"how did you do that?" Sans asked after Frisk had paused there.

"It's...hard for me to explain. It's like my soul was reaching out for you all. When I found each of you, none of you recognized me until I said something to trigger your memories. Once I did and you remembered me, you were saved." Frisk stopped again. They both looked up to see that the rest of their friends were now dancing as well. Papyrus and Undyne were partners since they were close to the same height, and Alphys was standing to the side, watching Undyne with a light blush dusting her face pink. "When I was trying to save you and Papyrus," Frisk continued, "he lashed out at me but you hung back, and you told me to just give up because that's what you did. Do you know what that means?"

Sans was silent for a moment as he kept watching his friends. "yeah, i know what that means." His smile grew a bit wider. "but it doesn't matter now. we're--"

"Everyone!" Mettaton shouted over the noise. The entire courtyard was silenced. "I've just had the most brilliant idea! Let's all raise our voices and sing Forchem Monstrum!" Many monsters cheered in agreement, then everyone who was sitting stood, those who could joined hands, and those who couldn't held their heads up high. Sans motioned for Frisk to stand as well and took her hand. All together, they began to sing a song in a language Frisk didn't recognize. She was a bit surprised when Sans started to sing as well, joining his low voice with the hundreds of others in the slow, melancholy, hauntingly beautiful song. Frisk didn't know it, so instead she closed her eyes and listened deeply to it.

The song wasn't long, and once it was finished everyone cheered and went back to their celebration. Sans let go of Frisk's hand and they sat back down.

"What was that song?" she asked him.

"that was our anthem, forchem monstrum. In the old language, it means 'fate of monsters'. that's been our anthem since the war with the humans. we hold hands when we sing it to show that we're always gonna work together to get out of this."

"It sounded sad."

Sans shrugged. "yeah. well, it's a sad story. but now the barrier is broken, so it's happy again." He nudged Frisk with his elbow. "hey, why don't you do us all a favor and talk asgore into changing it again. maybe something more upbeat."

Frisk smiled. "I can try, but I liked that song."

Sans smiled back. "well then, someone's gonna have to teach you how it goes."


	3. Chapter 2

Asriel was still crouching in the bed of flowers, studying the yellow blossoms and thinking back on everything. He had been through so much and felt no emotion for such a long period of time that finally feeling something was odd, like walking into a warm room after being lost in a blizzard for a long time. Anger, dread, despair, comfort, happiness, and now peace. It was the first time in years that Asriel felt content. Of course, he was still dreading turning into a flower again, but after Frisk had comforted him, he accepted his fate and only waited for it to happen. Would he turn back into that evil, twisted thing he was before? Would he just be a normal flower with no other purpose than to look pretty and feed the insects? Would he die? No matter what happened, he knew that there was no way he could control it, so he only waited and hoped for the best and savored the last moments he had in his true form.

Asriel mindlessly played with the flower petals of one of the small, yellow blossoms when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. He chuckled.

"Frisk, don't you have anything better to do?" he said as he turned to face the person approaching him.

It wasn't Frisk.

Instead, it was a tall figure with grey skin, dressed in robes that shimmered like the fabric was made of shadows. The figure had no nose, but it did have a wide smile and black, hollow eye sockets. One of its eyes had a gash through it. The figure moved closer to Asriel, and Asriel stayed frozen in horror in his spot in the flowers.

"So innocent..." the creature said in a low voice that resonated like a growl, while there was a background to its voice that sounded like something different. He quickly snatched Asriel up by the collar of his shirt and held him up to his eye level. "So pure..." Asriel kicked and squirmed, but the grip the creature had on him was too strong. "So vulnerable..." The creature pulled a knife from his robes and held it high in the air.

Asriel's eyes went wide and tears streamed down his face. In one final, desperate effort, he did the only thing he knew how to do. He opened his mouth wide and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Moma! Papa!"

The knife came down and Asriel was silenced.

***

He dropped the boy's body onto the ground. He took a deep breath and felt much more refreshed. He examined the knife that was now stained red, and wiped it clean on his robes. There was a sound like hissing whispers in the back corners of the room, and with a small motion of his hand he beckoned them to come forward. Small creatures that appeared to be made of smoke and shadow emerged from the darkness and joined their master. They came together and morphed into one dark, ghostly figure, and nuzzled against his hand. He tentatively stroked the shadow creature.

He reached into his robes again and pulled out a syringe with a substance inside it that glowed a bright red. He knelt down by the body and injected the substance into Asriel's neck. He chuckled. "Oh, how ironic this will be." He removed the syringe and stood. "Come, my pets. Our work has only just begun."


	4. Chapter 3

Asgore and Toriel were standing on the steps of the castle, still watching the celebration unfold and become bigger and bigger. Toriel was watching Frisk, who was now with all of her friends in front of the orchestra. Undyne and Papyrus were trying to teach her a specific dance from many years ago--one that had been a tradition to dance at celebrations such as these. It required a lot of spinning, Toriel remembered as she watched Frisk and Alphys attempt the dance together. Alphys was her partner since she matched Frisk's height and Sans refused.

"Toriel?" Asgore said.

"Yes?"

"I... I wanted again to try and formally apologize for... well, everything."

Toriel said nothing.

"You were right to say that we didn't need to kill humans and steal their souls. In all honesty, I never wanted to kill anyone. But, I didn't know any other way."

Toriel sighed. "Whether it was right or not, it still broke the Barrier. As much as I hate myself for admitting it..."

Asgore looked down at the ground. "I tried, I really did. I tried so many things to avoid going there, but this was the only thing that worked. I never wanted anyone to get hurt."

"I know you didn't, Asgore. You were always so gentle, until Asriel died. In the end, it was our people that made you decide that you wanted to kill the humans, wasn't it? They wanted freedom, no matter the cost, so you decided that you wanted the same?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"And now, your name shall go down in history for it. You will forever be remembered as King Asgore, the king who freed us all from our underground prison."

"The king who didn't find any other way," he added. "The king who was blinded by hate. The king who was a fool not to listen to his queen. And you, Lady Toriel, the queen who wanted nothing more than peace."

"And Frisk?" Toriel asked.

Asgore smiled. "Frisk most of all. Frisk, the merciful child. Frisk, the angel from the prophecy. Frisk, who brought us all to the light."

Toriel smiled as well. "Such wonderful titles for someone so young and pure."

"How old is she?"

"Twelve."

"Only twelve." Asgore said it more like a statement than a question. "Toriel, where have you been all this time?"

Toriel sighed again and didn't speak for several moments, until she decided that there was no harm in telling him. "The Ruins."

Asgore laughed. "Of course. I searched everywhere--even in the bloody swamps--but the Ruins. I didn't think you would go back there, considering all of the memories."

"I believe, in the end, the memories were what brought me back."

"Then you were more brave then I would have been," Asgore said.

"Why did you search the swamps for me?" Toriel asked with a laugh.

"I remembered how much you like snails."

Toriel smiled. "And you thought that would bring me back to the swamps? Goodness, I do enjoy a snail now and again, but I am certainly no hermit."

Asgore laughed. "I never called you a hermit. Besides, Waterfall was no use. I checked there first, because there are snails and I remembered how beautiful you thought the place was."

He didn't see that Toriel was smiling.

There were several moments of silence. Toriel watched Frisk dance with Alphys, and chuckled when they stumbled from dizziness after spinning so many times.

"Tori, I don't know if you'd believe me, but..." Asgore chuckled, "when you struck me with your fire, I felt more happiness than I did pain, because I knew that you had returned, even if you were angry with me." He turned to Toriel and grasped one of her hands in both of his. "Please Toriel, will you ever forgive me? I am a mess without you. I can't live any more days alone; it tears me to shreds. I--"

Toriel stopped him just as he was on the verge of tears, and to his surprise she chuckled. "Asgore, I--" Her face suddenly dropped then screwed up into a worried expression. She pulled her hand from Asgore's grip and clutched at her chest.

"Toriel? What is it?"

"It's... something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" As he said that, he felt an odd, dull pain deep in his chest as if he had just been punched, and an icy chill spread through his body. It felt similar to the day when he found Asriel's dead body and declared war on the humans, and when Toriel had left him. His heart was breaking. Suddenly understanding, he put his hand on Toriel's shoulder.

"Asgore, I must go back to the Ruins. I have a terrible feeling."

"I know, I can feel it too. Should I go with you?"

Toriel shook her head. "No. No, you need to stay here and help everyone prepare for the move. Perhaps it would be best if Frisk stayed here with you as well."

"No, Toriel. You're like a mother to her, she'd be better off with you. Besides, you were always better with children than me, and Frisk has many friends." He looked back down to the courtyard where Frisk and Alphys had spun in so many circles that they got dizzy and fell on top of each other while the others laughed and helped them back to their feet. "Many powerful friends."

Toriel hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. In that case, we shall be on our way." She started to walk down the stairs.

"Tori, wait!"

She stopped and turned back towards Asgore.

"Before you go, would you please answer my question?"

Toriel smiled at him. "Yes, Asgore. I forgive you." And with that, she left.

Toriel walked down to the courtyard and towards the area where monsters were dancing. Monsters parted to give her a pathway and bowed to her, and she nodded back at them, but never stopped walking. She found Frisk with her friends, and they were all trying to talk Sans into dancing.

"Come on Sans. No one knows the dance as well as you do," Alphys said.

"nope."

"SANS, WHY NOT? YOU WERE QUITE A DANCER ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO."

"nope."

"Please Sans?" Frisk asked.

"sorry, kiddo."

"What's the matter? Chicken?" Undyne taunted.

"no, just lazy."

"Saaaaaaans," Frisk groaned. "Pretty please?"

Toriel stepped in, then. "Frisk, if Sans doesn't want to dance, then you can't make him."

"thanks," Sans said gratefully.

"Oh, come on," Undyne said. "The rest of us did it, even Alphys. You should have to do it too, Sans."

"not happening."

"It's about time that Frisk and I return home to the Ruins, anyway," Toriel said.

"What? Already?" Frisk said.

Toriel smiled. "Don't worry, my child. I assure you that there will be many more celebrations for you to attend. For now, I need to return to the Ruins to share the news with the monsters there." Toriel didn't notice Sans watching her with a quizzical look.

"WHY DON'T YOU DO THAT AND SANS AND I BRING HER BACK WHEN THE CELEBRATION IS OVER?" Papyrus offered.

"No, that's fine," Toriel said. "Besides, she will need rest after her journey. I'm sure she's exhausted."

Frisk shrugged. "Yeah, kinda."

"That's that, then. We shall be taking our leave." She took Frisk's hand and started to lead her away while Frisk waved goodbye to her friends. Toriel had a sick feeling of dread and still thought that Frisk would have been better off staying in the capital, but she knew that Asgore was right.

Besides, if something were wrong, perhaps it would be better for Frisk to be near her so that she could protect her properly. Deep down, she didn't want to be separated from Frisk again.


	5. Chapter 4

The trip back to the Ruins was a quick one, (mostly thanks to a boat ride given by the River Person). Toriel and Frisk were both happy to reach the Ruins once it was over with. They were both exhausted, but once they had reached the door in the forests before Snowdin, Toriel felt an awful feeling of dread sweep over her. Yes, something was definitely wrong. Frisk didn't seem to notice, but her lack of magical powers must have made her senses less sensitive to things like this. Besides, she was tired. The poor child walked with her shoulders slightly drooping.

Once they entered the door, they were both eagerly greeted by the monsters that roamed in the Ruins. They greeted Frisk cheerfully, and never ceased to thank her a hundred times over. She tiredly smiled and talked with them. Toriel eventually stopped them and told them to leave the child be so that she may rest, and they obeyed.

Frisk smiled, tiredly. "It's good to be home."

Toriel grinned, despite everything. "Well, it won't be home for long, my child, once we move to the surface."

"Yeah."

"Come, you must be exhausted. You should get some rest."

"Okay." Toriel took Frisk's hand, mostly to comfort herself. This atmosphere was so dark it felt as though it were weighing down on her. She was frightened. Nevertheless, she smiled at Frisk as she walked her to her bedroom and left her to go to sleep.

Toriel gathered the monsters and instructed that they begin packing immediately, and they agreed, eagerly. Once all of the monsters had dispersed, Toriel began to wander the Ruins, searching, but for what she was uncertain. She roamed the many hallways and rooms, until she found herself going into the entrance where Frisk, as well as every other fallen child, had begun their journey. Toriel was greeted by familiarity that was almost comforting as she reached the spot where the moonlight poured in from the surface and rained down on a bed of golden flowers. Usually, this spot gave Toriel ease. There was many a time when she had sat in the flowers and let the sun rays soak into her skin and warm her fur, but this time was different.

As she approached the bed of flowers, the feeling of dread deepened, sending chills up her spine. She could see something in the bed of flowers. Something small. She stepped forward, trembling slightly, until she could clearly see what it was, and she gasped. The golden flowers she had grown so fond of were spattered with red, and in the middle of the flowers lay a child's lifeless body. Toriel ran to the body and gasped to see that the body belonged to her son. Asriel.

Toriel collapsed to her knees and pressed her hands to her mouth to keep herself from screaming. _No, it couldn't be him. Asriel died years ago,_ she thought. She reached out and gently touched him, and his body was cold as ice.

_Why hadn't he turned to dust?_

But for now, Toriel ignored all logic and reasoning. It was her son. Her little boy. She had believed him to be dead for so long, slaughtered by those frightened, unforgiving humans. Had she been wrong? Was he still alive, after all this? And if so, what about now? Was he dead now? Surely he must have been, laying in a pool of blood, his sweater torn and his chest with multiple open wounds. She scooped him up in her arms and held him close to her chest and she wept as hard as she had when she and Asgore found Asriel's remains in this same spot years ago. Her tears fell into Asriel's face.

"Mama?" came a hoarse whisper.

Toriel quickly opened her eyes and looked down at her son's face. Of course. He hadn't turned to dust yet because he wasn't dead. Asriel coughed and spit blood. He was too weak to even open his eyes.

She cupped his face in her hands and pressed her nose against his forehead, just like she used to when he was an infant. "I'm here, Asriel. Your mother is here."

Asriel opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak. Toriel noticed this and leaned down to put her ear next to his lips as he whispered, "...sorry..."

She hugged him and rocked back and forth. "It's alright Asriel. Don't apologize. I'm sorry too." She didn't know what he could have possibly been apologizing for.

"....take Frisk..." he whispered, his voice becoming softer as he struggled to find the strength. "Run..."

Toriel only wanted to hold him, heal him, comfort him, ask him what he meant, but she didn't. After Asriel uttered his last word, she noticed him going limp in her arms. She looked at him, and saw that his body was falling loose, and melting like a candle. Her eyes widened with horror. "Asriel, what's happening? Asriel?" But he wouldn't speak anymore. His flesh and fur was melding together and turning into a milky color. Toriel tried to sit him up and hold him together, only for him to fall through the cracks between her fingers. Whatever substance he was turning into was staining her dress and matting her fur. And it clung to her. It clung and pulled on her, pulling her closer. She gasped and scrambled to her feet, brushing off the goo that her son had turned into. What was this? Some sort of cruel taunt? What had happened to her son? Was that thing even really her son?

_“A mother's love. It has a tendency to make one very naïve.”_

Toriel heard it, and suddenly understood. She quickly spun around on her heel just before a shadowy creature leapt towards her. She was too quick and threw up a wall of fire to protect herself. The creature came close to the flame and screeched at it.

"Who are you?" she shouted. "What have you done?"

The creature backed away to the wall and hissed at her. "No one speaks for the master. No one dares say his name except those who wish to be dust!"

"Who is your master?" Toriel demanded.

"Beware! Beware the one who speaks in hands, and his new ally." With that, the creature backed away into the shadows and disappeared.

Toriel stared, dumbfounded. "What on earth?" she said quietly to herself. She looked around everywhere, but there was no sign of the strange shadow creature anywhere. But there were times as she looked around that she could have sworn she saw a flash of movement in her peripheral vision, deep in the shadows, and the air was filled with the faint sound of dozens of tiny whispers. Toriel began to tremble. She looked back at the pile of white goo that was now drowning the flowers. There were rumors, she remembered, from the days before the first humans fell and journeyed through the underground, only for Asgore to capture them. Whispers of corruption somewhere in the Core, when monsters began to disappear never to be seen again. But those couldn't have possibly been true, could they?

But what if they were?

Toriel began to panic, and she ran from the room and back through the Ruins to her home. In her hurry, she almost tripped over a Froggit. She stopped and righted herself.

"Lady Toriel, is something wrong?" the Froggit asked her.

Toriel was out of breath and her dress was stained in blood and strange goo. The Froggit studied her nervously.

"Spread the word," she said. "Everyone has to prepare for immediate evacuation from the Ruins. It isn't safe here anymore."

"W-What?"

"Just do it! Go, and hurry!"

The Froggit nodded and quickly hopped away to spread the news. Toriel began to run again, and she didn't stop until she got to her home.

Once she was inside, she slowed down and tried to collect herself. She didn't want to seem frightened in front of Frisk, that would only scare the child. No, she had to be brave, just like the brave, brave girl.

She walked calmly through the house and went to Frisk's room. She opened the door, with the secret fear in the back of her mind that whatever those things were would have come back to attack Frisk while Toriel was gone. When she opened the door, she was relieved to find Frisk sleeping soundly in her bed. She sighed, then quickly stripped off her purple Royal gown that was stained, now wearing her white underdress. She wadded up the gown and threw it in the floor, then turned on the light to the bedroom and walked to the bed.

She gently shook Frisk's shoulder. "Frisk. Wake up, my child," she said calmly.

Frisk opened her eyes and looked up at Toriel. She stretched. "Good morning."

Toriel chuckled. "I'm afraid it isn't morning yet, my child. You've only been asleep for a little while." She had Frisk sit up in bed. "I want you to listen very carefully. Something has come up, and we are going to have to leave the Ruins tonight. You need to get up and get ready as fast as you can."

"What happened? Where are we going?"

Toriel paused to think. "I'm not sure yet, but I will tell you soon enough. For now, just get dressed and get ready to leave."

"Okay."

Toriel left Frisk's room and shut the door behind her, then walked down the hall to her own bedroom to get another gown to put on. Panic rose in her chest again. What would she do now? She had to go and see for herself if those rumors were true. Once she was dressed, she went back to Frisk's room to wait by the door. She knew that it would have been better for Frisk to stay with Asgore in the capital. Perhaps that would be the best place for Frisk to go now. She leaned against the door and thought.

The door opened. She turned and smiled down at Frisk. "Are you ready to go, already?"

Frisk nodded.

"Alright, then." She took Frisk's hand and began to walk her down the hallway and down the stairs that led to the end of the Ruins. The hallway seemed longer every time she walked it.

They finally came upon the door that opened up to Snowdin Forest. Toriel had stopped and put her hand up to open the door, when suddenly...

Knock. Knock.

Toriel froze and felt the fur on the back of her neck stand on end. "Frisk," she said urgently, "get behind me."

Frisk seemed alarmed and did as she was told. Toriel took a deep breath. "Who's there?" she demanded.

"Tank," said a voice from the other side.

Toriel was confused. Did she know anyone named Tank? Surely not. "Um... Tank who?"

"you're welcome."

Toriel then realized who it was and sighed with relief. Of course. Who else would come knock on the door? She quickly opened it, and Sans was standing on the other side.

"Sans! Oh, thank goodness! What are you doing here?"

"well, paps and I left not long after you guys did, and I figured I could stop by for one last round of knock knock jokes."

"I see. Actually, Sans, your timing couldn't have been better."

"oh? what, are we having a party?"

Toriel turned to Frisk. "I have to talk to Sans about something. You wait here, we'll be right back."

Frisk nodded and Toriel roughly took Sans's arm and drug him to the other side of the room where they could speak, but Toriel could still watch Frisk.

"okay, i'm starting to get the feeling i'm in trouble or something," Sans said.

Toriel shook her head. "I need to ask you a favor," she said softly.

"oh yeah? what?"

Toriel knelt down to Sans's level so that she could look him directly in the eye. "Sans, something terrible has happened. The Ruins aren't safe anymore. I need you and Papyrus to watch Frisk while I help the monsters here evacuate."

Sans looked at Toriel, concerned. "what happened?"

"I don't have time to explain. Please, just promise me you'll protect her."

Sans studied Toriel's desperate, even scared look in her eyes.

"Please, Sans. I trust you."

Sans smiled, reassuringly. "c'mon, tori, didn't I already make this promise? yeah, i'll protect her. me and papyrus both. heck, if things get real bad we could call up undyne, too."

Toriel smiled. "Thank you, Sans." She stood, and they both looked at Frisk, who was watching them from her spot across the room. They both walked up to her.

"well, kid," Sans said to Frisk, "we got good news and bad news. the good news is, toriel said you get to spend a few days in snowdin with me and paps."

"Oh, okay," Frisk said, smiling. She looked up at Toriel, who smiled back down at her. "What's the bad news?"

Sans chuckled. "you're gonna have to suffer through more of my awesome jokes, and papyrus is probably gonna make spaghetti for every meal."

Frisk giggled. "His spaghetti isn't that bad."

"he's not here, kid. you can be honest."

Frisk laughed. "Well... he's not that bad for learning from Undyne."

"there ya go."

Toriel grinned. "Well, have fun, you two. I'll come and get you in a few days or so."

Sans and Frisk waved goodbye to Toriel and she went back inside the Ruins.

"alrighty, let's go, kid." Sans offered his hand to her, but she eyed it suspiciously. "what? don'tcha trust me?"

"You've got a whoopee cushion, don't you?"

Sans chuckled and dropped his hand. "you've gotten smarter."

***

Papyrus was thrilled when Sans and Frisk showed up at their home in Snowdin. He scooped Frisk up in his arms for a tight hug.

"HUMAN, I'M SO GLAD LADY TORIEL SUGGESTED YOU SLEEP OVER WITH US! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN!"

Frisk squirmed uncomfortably in his grasp and laughed. "Yeah, I'm excited," she wheezed.

"paps, don't hug her so tight. you're crushing her," Sans said with a laugh.

Papyrus blushed slightly and put Frisk down. "MY APOLOGIES, FRISK. THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOESN'T ALWAYS KNOW HIS OWN STRENGTH."

Frisk hugged her ribs and smiled at him. "It's okay, Papyrus."

"welp," Sans began with a shrug, "i guess paps needs to help you set up a bed somewhere."

"YES, OF COURSE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL... WAIT, I HAVE TO? WHY DON'T YOU HAVE TO, SANS?"

"cause i already brought her here. that's enough work for me."

"IT IS NOT! YOU NEED TO HELP!"

"okay, how 'bout I supervise?"

"NO! YOU'LL JUST SIT DOWN AND FALL ASLEEP."

Frisk laughed. "I can just sleep on the couch."

"ARE YOU SURE, HUMAN? IT ISN'T VERY COMFORTABLE."

"i think it's comfortable. i sleep there all the time."

"WELL THEN WHY DON'T YOU SLEEP ON THE COUCH AND LET FRISK SLEEP IN YOUR ROOM."

Sans shook his head. "no can do, bro. no one's allowed in my room, not even the ambassador."

"SANS, YOU'RE SO RUDE!"

Frisk smiled. "It's okay. I already said I would sleep on the couch. I don't mind. All I need is a pillow and blanket."

Papyrus sighed. "WELL, IF YOU INSIST, HUMAN. SANS SHALL FETCH YOU A PILLOW AND BLANKET, AND I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS, WILL BEGIN MAKING DINNER. NYEH-HEH-HEH!" With that, Papyrus charged into the kitchen before Sans could argue.

Sans sighed then looked over at Frisk. "told you he'd make spaghetti for dinner," Sans said. Frisk giggled.


	6. Chapter 5

It had been nearly a week. People had noticed many monsters coming into Snowdin from the Ruins. When they were questioned, they wouldn't say why they left so soon. They only said that they had to leave.

However, even after all of the monsters had left the Ruins, there was no word from Toriel. Sans wondered what was taking her so long, but never mentioned anything to Frisk or Papyrus.

Besides, Frisk seemed perfectly happy in Snowdin. They all kept busy by packing up all of their belongings. Neighbors in Snowdin were all happy to help each other pack and prepare for the move. Everyone was elated, and they all wanted to share their happiness with each other. And every night, there was a celebration at Grillby's with music, food, drink, and poker. The Skeleton Brothers and Frisk went to Grillby's for a celebration twice. Papyrus always spent the whole time sitting at a table and bragging about how the ambassador was one of his many friends. Sans mostly sat at the bar and joked with the other monsters. At one point, the dogs came together and tried to teach Frisk how to play poker, but they all got bored of the game quickly, and resolved to playing fetch with Frisk instead.

The celebrations at Grillby's came to an end, however, once he ran out of food, and were then moved to the Shop in Snowdin. Grillby closed his restaurant after that so that he could begin packing and moving things. Some monsters agreed to help him, including Sans and Frisk.

They all arrived early in the morning and spent the day packing. Frisk was tasked with wrapping dishes with newspaper and putting them neatly in boxes. She was surprised to see Sans actually working for once, (meaning he was using his magic to move heavy objects out of the rooms).

At one point, Frisk and went outside to take out some garbage to the dumpster behind the restaurant. Once she had lugged the garbage out and thrown it into the dumpster, she was about to go back inside when she noticed another monster standing by the trees of the forest. It wasn't any monster that she recognized. It looked like a large, black wolf, and its fur seemed to shimmer slightly. It also walked on all fours, unlike any of the dogs in Snowdin. The wolf-monster snarled at Frisk, and it sent a chill up her spine.

Nevertheless, she smiled kindly at it. "Hello. I don't think we've met. My name's Frisk. What's yours?" The wolf only stalked towards her. Frisk took a step back and held her hands up. "Um, look, I don't want any trouble. Is everything alright?" The wolf suddenly lunged at her, barking and growling, coming at her barring black teeth with black foam on its lips. Frisk stumbled backwards and suddenly noticed the cherry red heart that appeared in her chest. She quickly dove to the side to dodge the wolf's attack. After it missed her, the wolf turned to face her again. "Please, I don't want to fight you," she said. It lunged at her again, this time too fast for her to dodge, and it shoved her to the ground. Frisk screamed and tried to scramble out from under it, but it bit down on her ankle and began to drag her by the leg towards the woods.

Meanwhile, inside Grillby's, Sans was talking to Grillby, when he suddenly heard a scream from outside. His heart jumped into his throat, and he, along with all of the monsters who also heard it, ran to the window. He saw Frisk outside, being dragged into the woods by a wolf as she clawed desperately at the snow and tried to kick the monster away. The other monsters had registered what was happening and were beginning to run outside by the time Sans teleported out there. He summoned his magic to turn the monster blue and lift it into the air, but it didn't work. No matter how hard he tried, blue magic wouldn't work on it. He then summoned bones to shoot up from the ground and impale the wolf, and it disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Frisk tried to scramble to her feet once her ankle was free, but winced in pain. Sans ran to her and knelt by her side.

"kid, you okay?" he asked. The other monsters surrounded her, all asking her the same question.

"I...I don't know. It bit me." She pulled up her pant leg to look at her ankle, and it indeed had bite marks that were bleeding. A monster who was good at healing examined Frisk's ankle and determined that she would be fine and that all she needed was some food. Sans helped Frisk stand and put her arm over his shoulders so that he could help her limp back inside with everyone else. "Sans?" she said quietly.

"yeah, kid?"

"What was that thing?"

Sans didn't say anything for a moment.

"Sans?"

"I don't know what it was, kiddo. it didn't turn into dust, and I've never seen anything like it before." He shook his head. "it didn't seem good though. at all."

"What do you mean by that?"

Sans hesitated. "kid, you met a lot of monsters in the underground. a few of them were willing to fight you to the death, but no matter what you were always able to talk to them and change their minds. this thing wasn't like that. I could tell."

Frisk stopped moving and Sans stopped as well. "Do you think it was a monster, like the rest of you? Or do you think it was something else?"

Sans shrugged. "i don't know. it definitely didn't seem like one of us, though."

They both walked back into the restaurant, and Sans helped Frisk sit down at one of the tables. The shopkeeper rabbit from the Shop arrived shortly after with a large basket of Cinnamon Buns for everyone. Frisk gladly took one and ate it, enjoying every bite of the sweet, buttery pastry. After she ate it, the wound on her ankle was gone, and Frisk was once again astonished by the magic of the monsters' food.

"I came by as soon as I heard about it," the shopkeeper said to Frisk. "What kind of a monster would attack a sweet kid like you?"

The other monsters murmured in agreement.

Frisk shrugged. "Maybe I just said the wrong thing?"

Sans shook his head. "i doubt it. I think it's something more complicated than that." He looked at Frisk. "kid, just do yourself a favor and don't go outside by yourself again until we figure this out, okay?"

Frisk nodded. "Don't worry, I won't. It scared me."

Suddenly the door to Grillby's was kicked open. "HUMAN! FRISK! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

Sans couldn't help but chuckle. "word sure does travel fast here, doesn't it?"

Papyrus ran up to Frisk and scooped her up into another tight hug. "FRISK, I CAME AS SOON AS I HEARD! ARE YOU HURT?"

Frisk patted his back reassuringly. "It's okay. I'm already healed."

"I'M SUCH A TERRIBLE FRIEND, SANS! HOW COULD I HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN?" Papyrus howled.

"bro, you weren't even here. you couldn't have done anything."

Papyrus hugged Frisk tighter. "WELL, IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL BE FRISK'S PERSONAL BODYGUARD!" he announced.

Frisk laughed. "Thanks, Papyrus. That makes me feel a lot better."

A few minutes later, everyone decided that they had worked enough for the day and that it was time to go home. Grillby thanked them all for their help and everyone departed. Papyrus held Frisk's hand as they left the restaurant. While they were inside, it had started to snow. Frisk watched the snow fall and blinked away the snowflakes that stuck on her eyelashes.

"Where does the snow come from?" Frisk asked the skeleton brothers. They both hesitated in thought.

"YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE," Papyrus said. "IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE A SKY FOR IT TO FALL FROM."

"maybe it's magic," Sans offered.

"Maybe," Frisk said. She tilted her head back and opened her mouth wide to catch snowflakes on her tongue. She loved being with the skeletons in Snowdin. They made her feel safe.


	7. Chapter 6

Toriel walked through the castle in New Home, following Asgore to the royal library.

"You still haven't told me why you're here," he said, concerned. She hadn't told him about what she found in the Ruins, or the creature that attacked her, or why she didn't bring Frisk with her. She only told him that she needed to see the library.

"I'll explain it later, I promise you," she said.

Asgore felt confused and a little hurt. He had vaguely hoped she had come simply to visit him, perhaps bake a pie and have some tea. Of course, that was just wishful thinking. Things hadn't felt right ever since Toriel left the celebration in such a hurry. He felt on edge, so much so that not even a cup of his strongest chamomile could ease him enough to help him fall asleep at night. And this day was worse. He found himself jumping at every sound and being suspicious of every shadow. He was paranoid, but he didn't know why. It was completely unlike him, and others noticed. Toriel also seemed to be on edge, and she was focused. Determined.

They arrived to the library and Toriel immediately went to work scanning bookshelves. He didn't know why she wouldn't use the card catalog. The royal library was enormous; it contained a copy of every book and legal record in the Underground, everything from children's tales to marriage records, (unfortunately, recipes were a bit harder to find. Asgore knew this well since he scoured the entire library time and time again for a decent recipe for butterscotch and cinnamon pie).

"Can you at least tell me what you're looking for?" he asked.

"Criminal records. Incident reports. Things like that."

Asgore cocked a brow at her. "Why?"

"I don't know. I just know that I'm looking for something."

"Would you like my help?" he offered.

Toriel was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know if I can quite explain what I'm looking for well enough for you to help me look."

"Well, I thought I'd offer."

Toriel huffed in frustration. "I don't even know where to start," she said.

"The card catalog?"

She paused, then nodded. "That would make sense, wouldn't it?"

"Tori, are you alright?" he asked. "You seem...tense?"

"I have to find what I'm looking for. It's very important."

Asgore stayed silent and watched as Toriel hunched over the card catalog and began searching through it. "Alright, then." He paused, and when she said nothing else to him, he said, "I'll leave you to that, then." She still said nothing else, so he awkwardly left the room.

For a little while, he waited outside the library, but she didn't come out so he left to go tend to his garden like he usually did when he couldn't think of anything better to do. Once he was done, he sat in there for a little while longer and listened to the birds. Something was wrong, though. He felt more paranoid than ever, like there was some sort of danger within his own home. He told himself he was being ridiculous, then soon found himself exploring the entire castle. He searched closets and hallways and every nook and cranny he could find, but he didn't know exactly what he was looking for. Something. Anything out of the ordinary. He figured he was mostly doing this to ease his own mind. It took him several hours.

Meanwhile, Toriel searched through the library hoping that something could answer the many questions she had. She searched for things relating to shadow creatures and accidents and missing persons. They were dark subjects to be researching, but she didn't know what else she could look for. And there was such an extensive history for her to look through. Eventually, she found herself looking through murder trials. There wasn't much for her to see there, (a good thing, she thought), but there were some things. She was surprised to see records for each of the fallen humans who were eventually killed, though they were not titled as murder trials, they were put in the same section as the rest. Was it Asgore's doing? She wondered, and was nearly tempted to look through each of their records. She was curious as to where they died, who captured them, how far they made it, but at the same time she didn't want to know. She grew attached to every child that fell into the Underground. Every single one of them. So far, Frisk was the only one who had survived. Not even Chara could live in the Underground without it eventually killing her, and she was the only one who lived without the threat of being captured. Remembering Chara brought back many memories, and they pained Toriel so much that she picked up the nearest folder to flip through its pages just to distract herself. In doing so, she saw a name that caught her attention.

W. D. Gaster.

She recognized that name. It had been years since she had heard it, but she didn't quite remember from where. Perhaps from gossiping monsters in the Ruins? She started to read through the folder, and the more she read the more horrified she became. It was a report on his work and his arrest. Asgore was going to have him arrested and sentenced to execution. But why? What could he have done to push Asgore to such a drastic punishment? It didn't seem like him at all. She continued reading. Murder? Kidnapping? Treason? What kind of a monster would do such terrible things?

"Toriel?"

She gasped and spun around to find Asgore standing in the doorway of the library. She sighed with relief. "Yes, Asgore?"

"I was only going to offer you some tea," he said.

She smiled gratefully. "Yes, tea would be nice." She pressed the folder firmly to her chest to hide her trembling hands.

"Alright." Asgore started to turn to leave, but Toriel stopped him.

"Asgore, can I ask you something?" she said quickly.

He stopped and turned back to her, looking slightly hopeful. What was he hoping for? She had a few ideas, but they weren't important. "Do you know anything about someone named W. D. Gaster?"

Asgore's expression went grim. "Gaster? You don't know about him?" She shook her head. "Ah. Well, he was the royal scientist many years ago. I tasked him to try to find a way to make an artificial soul, you see. I was hoping that perhaps there was a way we could create souls to break the Barrier without killing anyone. He worked very hard on it, but... well, he did terrible things. Very terrible things. He kept it a secret from everyone, including his own assistants. One day, his assistants discovered what he had done and told me, and they were such horrible crimes I couldn't think of any other punishment that would fit him. He is the only monster I have ever sentenced to execution." Toriel was shocked, to say the least. Asgore continued, "he never was executed, though. He wasn't even arrested. Before the guards have even started heading to the lab to arrest him, there was an accident and we couldn't find him. Not a single trace. We assumed that he was killed in the accident." He sighed. "I never expected that kind of behavior out of him. He was such an interesting and intelligent fellow." He chuckled a bit. "He sometimes had a hard time speaking, so he spoke with his hands a lot. And he wrote and read things in a language very few could understand."

This last statement shocked Toriel. "What do you mean he spoke with his hands?"

Asgore shrugged. "He would sign with his hands. I know a couple of monsters that do that."

Toriel felt her skin crawl. It was horrible, all of it, but it also made sense. Based on everything she'd heard, everything she learned, she could only assume that the rumors were true, now. But she had to make sure. "Thank you, Asgore. That was helpful. I think I'm going to read a bit more."

"Alright. I'll get you some of that tea."

Toriel nodded and Asgore left the room. She was grateful that he wasn't asking her too many questions because she didn't know if she'd be able to answer any of them. She put down the folder, then went back to work on researching W. D. Gaster.

***

Asgore busied himself with the tea. At least he had something to do, now. He put a big pot of golden flower tea on the stove and waited for it to boil. He quickly got impatient, though, and started pacing the kitchen. His mind was racing with a million thoughts at once. He fiddled with his hands. He broke into a sweat. He couldn't stop moving. Why was he so scared?

There was a loud crash in the next room, and it made Asgore nearly jump out of his skin. He raced into that room, trying to prepare himself--for what, he wasn't sure--and when he ran into the dining room he found...nothing. No one was there, but there was a shattered plate in the middle of the floor. He scanned the room, but there was no sign of anything. No movement. He knelt down beside the shattered plate and wondered where it fell from.

"Papa?"

Asgore's heart leapt into his throat. Was that... No, it couldn't be. But... it had to be. He jumped back to his feet and sprinted back into the kitchen. And there she was. He clutched at his chest, because it ached, just like the first time he saw her. She smiled sweetly at him, holding out a cup of tea.

"Chara?" he breathed.

She nodded. "I came back, Papa. I don't really know how, but I did."

Tears welled in the king's eyes and he walked up to the child to hug her.

"Careful!" she scolded before he could touch her, "You'll spill the tea I just made you."

Tears streamed down Asgore's face and he smiled at her. "I'm sorry, Chara, it's just... after all these years I thought I'd never see you again."

She pressed the cup of tea into Asgore's hands. "It's okay, Papa. We'll talk about it later. For now, just drink this. It'll calm you down. Golden flower tea is still your favorite, right?"

He took the cup from her and smiled gratefully at her. "It is. Thank you."

Chara sat with him at the table while he drank his tea. He kept trying to ask her how she got back, what happened, or if she had possibly seen Asriel. For the most part, Chara seemed clueless. She just nervously looked down at her lap whenever he asked her those things. Asgore's stomach churned, but he ignored it. Everything was just so overwhelming, now. Once he downed the entire cup, he asked if she would like to see her mother. She grinned and nodded eagerly. "Maybe we can bring her some tea, too. Do you think she'd like that?"

"Of course, especially if it's from you," he said.

"Where is she?"

"She's..." he stopped as a cold chill ran through his body. His stomach lurched again and he doubled over with his hands over his midsection.

Chara cocked an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

Realization struck Asgore like a blow to the heart. "Chara, what did you put in that tea?"

"Hmm..." she crossed her arms. "You know, I could have sworn I used golden flowers. But sometimes it's hard for me to tell the difference between those and buttercups. Or... other things." She smirked wickedly at him.

Asgore's knees went weak and he fell, and he coughed and tasted coppery blood in his mouth. He began to cry, all over again. "Why? Why would you do this?"

"Revenge." She turned and walked away, just as Asgore's vision started to fade to red.

But he wasn't going to give up. Not yet. He had to warn her.

***

Toriel had read enough. She was convinced. That and she simply didn't want to read anymore. She left the library and raced back towards the kitchen. She had to tell Asgore. She had to ask him what they would do next.

And what took him so long? Tea didn't take that long to make. She easily found her way to the kitchen, where the kettle was screaming. She quickly grabbed a hot pad and took the kettle off of the stovetop. "Asgore?" she called. But there was no answer. A chill went down her spine and she ran into the next room. Before she even knew what she was doing, she found him lying on the dining room floor, with the tiniest bit of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. She dropped the kettle and the boiling hot tea spilled all over the floor. She dropped by his side and rolled him over onto his back.

"Asgore! Asgore, wake up! Please!" she pleaded. But it was no use, and she knew it. He wasn't stirring. She was too late. It was only a matter of time before he turned to dust. He wasn't even conscious anymore. She clung to him tightly, forgetting everything she had ever been mad at him for, just wishing that he would hold her again, or tell her everything would be alright, or even tease her for her jokes. She sobbed into his chest and hated herself for not letting him stay by her side. At least for a little bit longer.

She took one of his hands and planted a kiss on his forehead. "I'm sorry. I love you, Asgore," she whispered to him, and she hoped he could hear her. His body turned to dust underneath her, and for the second time now, her clothes were stained with the dust of someone she cared for. All of the same feelings of grief came back again, and they were just as strong as before if not stronger. All she could think was "How did this happen?" Then she saw the note on the floor. On a crumpled piece of paper beside her, a recipe for pie was written out on one side, but on the other was the words "chara danger run" scrawled messily with an ink pen. she picked it up and stared at it in horror. It was so similar to Asriel's last words. It was clear that now this place wasn't safe anymore. She had to tell everyone and have them evacuate. And she had to get Frisk.

Toriel rushed to find some monsters to help her and informed them that the king had been murdered. This frightened the monsters, but they went about their business to take care of his remains. They quickly gathered his dust and put it in an old jewelry box he had in his room, and Toriel took it so they could have a proper funeral for him. Toriel gathered up the papers and documents she had found for further research, then rushed to have everyone evacuate New Home. She also warned them to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious and promised that she would have more information for everyone as soon as she found some. All the while, she was keenly aware of a creeping feeling in her spine, like someone was watching her, and she made a point not to go anywhere alone and warned the other monsters to do the same. 

Soon, the castle of New Home was empty, and Toriel rushed out and urged the monsters to get somewhere safe. As she was leaving, she thought she heard a familiar voice say, "Mama?" but she fought her instincts and kept moving, though that was one of the hardest things she had to do. 


End file.
